T/TURA) 


DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE. 

BOTANICAL  DIVISION. 

BULLETIN    NO.    1.        S 


REPORT 


OF  AN 


INVESTIGATION  OF  THE  GRASSES 


OF   THE 


ARID  DISTRICTS 


KANSAS,  NEBRASKA,  AND  COLORAD 


Dr.  GEORGE  VASEY,  Botanist. 


PREPARED  UNDER  THE  DIRECTION  OF  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  AGRICULTURE. 


WASHINGTON': 

GOVERNMENT   PRINTING   OFFICE, 
1886. 


*  / 


k 


DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE. 

BOTANICAL   DIVISION. 

BULLETIN    NO.    1. 


\i  K  P  ORT 


OF    AN 


INVESTIGATION  OF  THE  GRASSES 


ARID   DISTRICTS 


OF 


KANSAS,  NEBRASKA,  AND  COLORADO. 


BY 


Dr.  GEORGE  VASEY,  Botanist. 


PREPARED  UNDER  THE  DIRECTION  OF  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  AGRICULTURE 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT    PRINTING    OFFICE. 

1886. 
6078— Ball.  1 


k 


INVESTIGATION  OF  GRASSES  OF  THE  ARID  DISTRICTS  OF  KAN- 
SAS, NEBRASKA,  AND  COLORADO. 


Washington,  September  29,  1886. 

Hon.  NORMAN  J.  COLMAN, 

Commissioner  of  Agriculture  : 

Dear  Sir:  Iij  accordance  with  your  commission  to  make  an  investi- 
gation of  the  grasses  and  forage  plants  of  the  arid  districts  of  the 
West,  I  have  the  pleasure  of  informing  you  that  I  have  recently  spent 
about  six  weeks  in  an  examination  of  that  part  of  the  arid  regiou  em- 
braced in  the  States  of  Kansas,  Nebraska,  and  Colorado,  and  in  the 
northeastern  part  of  New  Mexico. 

The  eastern  boundary  of  the  arid  region  has  been  commonly  fixed  at 
the  one  hundredth  meridian.  It  has  been  estimated  that  nearly  one  half 
of  the  land  belonging  to  the  United  States,  exclusive  of  the  Territory  of 
Alaska,  lies  west  of  this  line,  and  amounts  to  some  000,000,000  acres. 
Much  the  larger  part  of  this  immense  region  consists  of  mountains  and 
arid  land.  A  large  part  of  the  land  on  the  Pacific  coast  is  productive 
without  irrigation,  and  some  of  the  finest  land  for  grazing  purposes  lies 
in  the  mountain  valleys  and  parks,  where  there  is  an  abundant  rainfall. 
The  remainder  of  this  great  domain  consists  mainly  of  arid  land,  such 
as  the  high  mesas  of  Western  Texas,  New  Mexico,  Arizona,  Southern 
California,  Utah,  Nevada,  and  Wyoming,  in  addition  to  those  portions 
of  Kansas,  Nebraska,  Colorado,  and  New  Mexico  before  mentioned. 

Various  estimates  have  been  made  as  to  the  amount  of  this  arid  land; 
probably  two-thirds  of  all  the  territory  west  of  the  one  hundredth  meri- 
dian may  be  considered  of  this  class,  and  so  far  as  it  has  been  utilized, 
has  been  chiefly  occupied  for  cattle  aud  sheep  ranches,  for  which  pur- 
pose alone  it  was  thought  to  be  adapted. 

NORTHEASTERN   NEW   MEXICO. 

The  time  at  my  disposal  only  admitted  of  an  investigation  of  the  part 
of  this  region  which  I  have  mentioned,  aud  I  will  first  speak  of  the 
northeastern  part  of  New  Mexico.  This  is  separated  from  the  great 
plains  of  Colorado  by  an  eastward  projection  of  the  Raton  range  of 
mountains.  This  range  rises  to  the  height  of  about  8,000  feet  at  the 
crossing  of  the  Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe  Railroad.  The  town 
of  Trinidad  lies  at  the  base  of  the  range  on  the  northern  side,  at  the 

:i 


[ 


elevation  of  6,000  feet,  and  here  the  railroad  begins  the  ascent  of  the 
mountain,  following  the  winding  of  a  small  stream.  Near  the  summit 
it  passes  through  a  tunnel,  then  emerges  in  New  Mexico,  and  rapidly 
descends  to  the  town  of  Baton,  which  is  at  an  elevation  of  about  6,700 
feet.  Here  the  plains  recommence,  stretching  eastward  to  the  east  line 
of  the  Territory,  thence  into  the  region  called  "No  Man's  Land  "  and  into 
the  u  Panhandle"  of  Texas.  Southward  they  extend  through  the  Terri- 
tory, but  undergo  a  considerable  change  in  character  after  reaching 
about  the  thirty- tilth  parallel  of  latitude,  or  about  140  miles  from  the 
northern  boundary. 

The  western  boundary  is  the  base  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  which 
trend  somewhat  to  the  southwest,  thus  giving  a  greater  breadth  in  the 
southern  part,  but  the  average  breadth  from  the  mountains  to  the  east 
line  may  be  reckoned  at  more  than  100  miles.  This  is  the  best  large 
body  of  graziug  laud  in  the  Territory.  The  elevation  along  the  base  of 
the  mountains  at  the  west  is  greater  than  it  is  in  Colorado,  and  along 
the  railroad  the  altitude  is  over  (3,000  feet. 

The  mesa  slopes  eastward  gradually  to  the  line  of  the  Territory,  where 
the  altitude  is  about  4,000  feet.  This  region  is  almost  entirely  covered 
by  several  Mexican  land  grants,  particularly  those  known  as  the  Max- 
well and  Mora  grants,  and  is  included  in  the  counties  of  Colfax,  Mora, 
and  San  Miguel.  Little  or  no  agriculture  has  been  attempted  except 
with  irrigation,  and  that  is  generally  pursued  by  the  native  Mexicans, 
who  are  generally  contented  with  a  few  acres  each  on  the  watercourses. 
In  some  of  the  valleys  among  the  foot  hills,  however,  are  fertile  spots 
where  some  cultivation  has  been  successfully  attempted  without  irriga- 
tion. According  to  the  statement  of  Mr.  Clarence  Gordon  in  the  census 
report  for  1880,  there  were  in  that  year  about  2:20,000  head  of  cattle  in 
these  three  northeastern  counties,  or  over  60  per  cent,  of  all  that  were 
in  the  Territory .  Mr.  Gordon  estimates  that  there  are  11,500,000  acres 
of  available  pasturage  land  in  this  portion  of  the  Territory,  which  would 
give  an  average  of  abo'Jt  52  acres  to  the  head  of  stock;  but  the  ground 
is  also  shared  by  a  large  number  of  sheep.  Colfax  County  was  the  most 
heavily  stocked,  and  gave  an  average  of  24  acres  to  the  head,  while  Mora 
County  gave  35  acres  to  the  head,  and  San  Miguel  County  5~).  That 
portion  of  the  mesa  near  the  Raton  Range  is  so  elevated  as  to  be  only 
serviceable  for  cattle  pasturage  during  five  months  of  summer,  and  is 
chiefly  occupied  as  a  sheep  ranch. 

The  grasses  of  this  region  are  mainly  the  same  as  prevail  in  Colorado, 
viz,  gramma  and  buffalo  grass,  in  variable  proportion,  but  the  gramma 
generally  greatly  predominating.  Several  other  kinds  occur  in  certain 
localities,  as  on  rocky  hillsides  and  on  bottom  land,  but  form  only  a  small 
proportion  as  compared  with  those  prevailing  on  the  mesa.  These  will 
be  noticed  in  another  place.  The  quantity  of  grass  upon  the  ground 
varies  with  the  situation  and  soil.  In  the  west  part  of  the  Mora  grant 
there  is  a  wide  stretch  of  most  excellent  grazing  laud.     Ou  bluffs  and 


rocky  ground  the  soap-weed,  a  kind  of  Spanish  bayonet  (  Yucca  angusti- 
folia)  frequently  occurs,  and  occasionally  may  be  seen  a  Large,  branch- 
ing, thistle-like  caefns  [Opuntia arbor escens). 

Over  the  larger  part  of  this  mesa  the  capacity  for  supporting  cattle 
will  probably  average  from  15  to  20  acres  to  the  head.    There  are,  how- 
ever,  large  tracts  which  cannot  safely  be  utilized  from  the  absence  of 
running  water.     This  difficulty  will  eventually  he  overcome  by  the  sink 
ing  of  wells. 

Mr.  Calhoun,  of  Watrous,  a  well-known  stockman,  remarked,  "  Cur 
great  want  is  a  more  productive  grass.  The  quality  is  not  so  great  an 
object  as  the  quantity." 

Mr.  Gordon  estimates  that  there  are  11,500,000  acres  in  this  region 
available  for  stock-raising,  and  that  in  1880  it  was  stocked  ou  the  aver- 
age at  the  rate  of  about  52  acres  to  the  head.  But  the  full  grazing 
capacity  of  the  land  cannot  be  realized  under  the  rariche  system.  In 
order  to  do  this  the  cattle  ranges  must  be  restricted  in  extent,  with 
provision  for  winter  feeding,  water,  and  shelter.  If  to  this  we  add  cul- 
tivation of  the  land  and  pastures  of  more  productive  grasses,  we  may 
expect  greatly  increased  population  and  wealth.  Mr.  D.  W.  Brewster 
has  a  section  of  land  on  the  dry  mesa  about  12  miles  east  of  Las  Vegas, 
where  he  has  dug  a  well  and  this  year  broken  30  acres,  and  expects  to 
break  80  acres,  on  which  he  will  try  the  experiment  of  cultivation.  The 
result  of  this  experiment  will  be  watched  with  great  interest.  In  a  deep 
canon,  28  miles  east  of  Springer,  M.  W,  Mills,  esq.,  has  100  acres  under 
cultivation  in  fruit  trees,  and  has  had  good  success.  Wheuever  these 
land  grants  are  arranged  for  subdivision  at  reasonable  prices,  a  move- 
ment of  immigration  will  probably  take  place.  The  towns  of  Batonf 
Springer,  and  Las  Vegas  are  the  principal  ones  on  the  railroad  in  a  dis- 
tance of  150  miles. 

THE   NORTHERN   PLAINS. 

We  will  now  return  to  the  arid  regiou  north  of  New  Mexico.  This  is 
bounded  on  the  west  by  the  Bocky  Mountains,  and  extends  eastward  to 
the  one  hundredth  meridian  in  the  States  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  a 
distance  of  more  than  300  miles.  The  elevation  at  the  base  of  the 
mountains  is  about  5,500  to  6,000  feet.  North  of  Colorado  the  high 
mountain  range  breaks  down  into  the  elevated  Laramie  plains. 

This  region  is  drained  in  the  northern  part  by  the  Platte  Biver,  the 
north  fork  in  Nebraska  and  the  south  fork  in  Colorado;  by  the  Bepub- 
lican  Biver  in  Southern  Nebraska,  the  Smoky  Hill  in  Kansas,  and  the 
Arkansas  and  its  branches  in  Southern  Colorado  and  Kansas.  It  is  an 
immense  treeless  plain,  sloping  eastward  at  the  rate  of  about  10  feet  to 
the  mile.  It  is  cut  up  in  many  places  by  dry  channels,  called  arroyas, 
which  carry  off  the  surface-water  during  rains  and  convey  it  to  the 
larger  streams.  In  the  central  part  of  the  Colorado  plateau  is  an  ele- 
vated ridge,  known  as  the  '"divide,"  which  separates  the  waters  of  the 


6 

Platte  from  those  which  make  their  way  on  the  south  to  the  Arkansas. 
This  ridge  is  about  ICO  miles  from  east  to  west  and  GO  miles  from  north 
to  south.  The  southward  drainage  slope  toward  the  Arkansas  River  is 
said  to  be  about  40  feet  to  the  mile.  Occasional  springs  are  found,  but 
large  areas  occur  without  any  water. 

There  are  some  extensive  tracts  of  very  sandy  land,  sometimes  thrown 
into  ridges,  ami  sometimes  into  small,  shifting  hillocks.  But  by  far  the 
larger  part  of  the  surface  of  this  great  tract  is  a  rich  mixture  of  loam 
and  clay,  increasing  in  richness,  for  the  most  part,  as  the  laud  descends 
to  lower  altitudes.  The  same  observations  will  apply  mainly  to  the 
eastern  portions  of  the  tract  in  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  where,  at  the  one 
hundredth  meridian,  the  elevation  is  about  2.-500  feet. 

Xear  Denver  and  northward  on  the  Platte  and  its  branches  are  some  of 
the  best  agricultural  lands  of  Colorado.  They  are  irrigated  by  ditches  and 
canals  drawn  from  the  mountain  streams.  In  this  part  of  the  State  are 
the  enterprising  towns  of  Boulder,  Longmont,  Fort  Collins,  and  Greeley. 
In  the  southern  part  the  Arkansas  has  been  drawn  upon  for  purposes 
of  irrigation.  But  the  irrigable  lands  constitute  but  a  small  part  of  the 
great  plains.  They  are  mostly  elevated  above  the  streams,  and  for  a 
supply  of  water  must  depend  mainly  upon  wells  and  artificial  reser- 
voirs. The  rainfall  over  this  region  is  from  15  to  20  inches  per  year, 
increased  occasionally  in  the  southeastern  part  to  24  inches.  The  plains 
constitute  about  one-third  of  the  eutire  area  of  the  State  of  Colorado. 

CATTLE    0>'    THE    PLAINS. 

It  is  stated  that  in  1884  there  were  in  Eastern  Colorado  about  800,000 
cattle,  occupying  an  area  of  some  20,000,000  acres,  or  about  40  acres  per 
head.  Occupying  the  same  territory  there  were  also  about  1,000,000 
head  of  sheep.  Some  parts  of  this  region  have  evidently  been  over- 
stocked, but  there  are  large  areas  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State  which 
have  been  little  utilized  on  account  of  the  scarcity  of  water. 

In  Kansas  and  Nebraska  west  of  the  one  hundredth  meridian  the  ele- 
vation runs  down  from  an  average  of  3,500  feet  to  that  of  some  2,500 
feet  in  a  distance  of  about  120  miles.  I  have  not  been  able  to  obtain 
any  recent  estimates  as  to  the  quantity  of  cattle  on  ranches  in  this  dis- 
trict. The  number  has  been  greatly  i educed  within  two  or  three  years, 
partly  by  the  removal  of  many  herds  to  more  northern  ranges  and  partly 
by  means  of  the  heavy  losses  of  stock  during  the  last  winter  from  ex- 
posure to  an  excessively  severe  occurrence  of  storms  and  blizzards,  by 
which  some  herds  were  almost  entirely  destroyed. 

There  are  some  sections  where  the  supply  of  running  water  is  very 
limited,  and  these  have  not  been  much  occupied. 

There  is  reason  to  believe  that  the  unproductive  character  of  much 
of  this  region  has  been  greatly  exaggerated,  and  many  portions  of  this 
Territory  have  recently  been  the  field  of  a  great  rush  of  immigration, 
by  which  the  larger  part  will  soon  be  absorbed  by  homesteads  and  pre- 


emption  claims  for  the  purpose  of  general  cultivation.  The  attempts 
at  agriculture  which  have  been  made  here  during  the  past  two  or  three 
years  have  been  attended  with  considerable  success,  possibly  owing  to 
favorable  seasons,  but  the  most  sanguine  expectations  are  entertained 
by  the  settlers. 

The  scene  of  greatest  activity  has  been  along  the  line  of  the  Atchi- 
son, Topek a  and  Santa  F6  Railroad.  From  Dodge  City  westward  to 
La  Junta  new  towns  are  springing  up  as  if  by  magic,  and  the  surround- 
ing country  is  being  rapidly  settled.  Cimarron,  Belfast,  Pierceville, 
Garden  City,  Hartland,  Syracuse,  Cooledge,  and  Lamar  are  some  of 
these  new  points  of  settlement.  Several  new  and  extensive  irrigating 
canals,  drawn  from  the  Arkansas  River,  have  been  carried  through  por- 
tions of  the  country,  which  will  enable  much  land  to  be  brought  under 
irrigation.  The  bottom  lauds  and  second  bottoms  are  flat  and  well 
adapted  to  irrigation.  The  high  lands  have  a  rich  soil,  supporting  a 
good  body  of  gramma  and  buffalo  grass.  On  the  Kansas  Pacific  Rail- 
road there  is  also  considerable  activity  in  the  way  of  settlement.  Sor- 
rento, Kit  Carson,  and  Coronada  are  booming  towns  on  this  road  in 
Eastern  Colorado  and  Colona,  Collyer,  Grinnell,  Sheridan,  and  Wallace 
on  the  same  road  in  Western  Kansas.  The  railroad  through  this  sec- 
tion runs  mostly  on  the  divide  or  highest  and  least  watered  part  of  the 
country.  Wallace  County  seems  to  be  particularly  wanting  in  large 
streams.  Some  of  the  first  branches  of  the  Smoky  Hill  River  have 
their  rise  in  it,  but  the  supply  both  of  water  and  trees  is  small.  There 
has  been  little  improvement  or  settlement  in  the  county  until  recently. 
The  village  of  Wallace  is  built  on  the  Government  reservation  of  Fort 
Wallace,  which  reservation  is  2  miles  wide  by  7  miles  long.  The  build- 
ings of  the  old  military  post  are  about  2  miles  from  the  village.  They 
are  mostly  in  a  state  of  dilapidation,  but  a  portion  are  substantially 
built  of  stone  and  are  well  preserved. 

A  large  and  substantial  dam  which  was  built  across  the  small  stream 
and  utilized  chiefly  for  an  ice-pond  still  remains  in  a  damaged  condition, 
and  with  some  repairs  could  be  employed  for  irrigation.  The  village 
is  on  the  high  upland,  and  is  supplied  with  water  mainly  from  wells  of 
different  depth.  On  the  highest  levels  water  is  usually  reached  at  about 
150  feet.  One-half  the  land  lying  along  the  railroad  is  owned  by  the 
company,  and  is  not  yet  offered  for  sale,  and  settlers  have  generally 
gone  beyond  the  railroad  limits.  The  few  attempts  which  have  been 
made  at  cultivation  without  irrigation  have  been  principally  for  the  pur- 
pose of  obtaining  forage  crops  of  corn  and  millet,  and  have  been  so 
successful  that  trials  are  now  being  made  of  wheat  and  other  farm  crops. 
At  this  village  and  in  the  vicinity  the  grasses  are  gramma  and  buffalo, 
in  variable  proportions,  the  buffalo  predominating  on  the  highest  levels, 
but  the  gramma  taking  the  lead  elsewhere.  The  ground  is  well  covered 
and  affords  excellent  pasturage,  and  is  quite  capable  of  affording  sum- 
mer pasturage  for  stock  at  the  -ate  of  10  acres  to  the  head. 


8 

On  the  Burlington  and  Missouri  Railroad,  in  Northeastern  Colorado, 
new  settlements  are  forming.  Akron  is  a  new  town  on  the  naked  plain, 
near  no  stream  of  water.  The  land  is  said  to  be  rich  ;  certainly  it  has 
this  season  produced  promising  crops  of  corn  and  millet  on  newly- 
broken  sod.  Water  is  obtained  at  the  depth  of  about  75  feet.  Half  a 
mile  north  of  the  station  is  the  artesian  well  which  was  sunk  by  the 
United  States  Government  to  the  depth  of  1,200  feet  and  then"  aban- 
doned. The  water  now  rises  freely  in  the  well  to  within  140  feet  of  the 
surface,  and  is  utilized  to  supply  the  wants  of  settlers  in  the  vicinity* 
The  grasses  of  the  prairie  are  the  same  as  at  Wallace  and  elsewhere,  but 
somewhat  more  sparsely  covering  the  ground.  On  the  same  railroad, 
in  Southwestern  Nebraska,  Beukelman,  Culbertson,  and  McCook  are 
thrifty  towns  on  the  Republican  River,  where  the  land  is  fertile  and  con- 
siderable of  it  under  cultivation.  At  McCook,  on  high  ground  north 
and  west  of  the  town,  fields  of  strong,  promising  corn  and  millet  were 
growing  on  the  dry  prairie.  The  gramma  and  buffalo  grasses  cover  the 
soil  richly  and  afford  excellent  pasturage.  The  greatest  difficulty  away 
from  the  streams  on  the  highlands  is  the  want  of  water,  to  obtain  which 
it  is  sometimes  necessary  to  sink  wells  150  to  300  feet.  Wheat  has 
yielded  as  high  as  40  bushels  to  the  acre  without  irrigation.  In  the  town 
are  planted  several  kinds  of  trees,  as  ash,  box-elder,  elm,  white  maple, 
and  catalpa,  which  seem  to  be  making  healthy  growth. 

On  what  is  called  the  Julesburg  Branch  of  the  Uniou  Pacific  Railroad 
new  towns  are  springing  up,  and  laud  is  rapidly  being  located.  Atwood, 
Sterling,  lliff,  and  Sedgwick  are  within  the  boundaries  of  Colorado,  and 
Ogallala,  O'Fallon,  and  North  Platte  are  in  Nebraska.  At  the  points 
in  Nebraska  particularly  there  have  been  many  land  entries  and  con- 
siderable cultivation  commenced.  At  North  Platte  and  many  miles 
west  of  that  place  the  river  bottom  is  several  miles  wide,  and  contains 
rich  meadow  land,  where  great  quantities  of  grass  are  cut  annually 
for  hay.  This  consists  of  several  coarse  species,  principally  Panicum 
virgatum,  Agropyrum  glaueum,  and  Andropogon  provincialis,  intermixed 
with  sedges  and  rushes.  In  some  places  over  large  areas  the  principal 
grass  is  that  which  is  called  alkali  or  salt  grass  (Distiehlis  maritima), 
which  makes  a  close,  thick  mat,  looking  like  a  pasture  of  blue-grass. 

The  highlands  away  from  the  river  are  covered  with  the  ubiquitous 
gramma,  with  occasional  buffalo- grass  and  blue-joint.  On  high  levels, 
H00  feet  above  the  river,  on  new  breaking,  are  fields  of  corn,  which  give 
promise  of  a  good  yield. 

SUPPORTING   CAPACITY   OF   THE  ARID   PLAINS. 

There  is  a  surprising  difference  in  the  estimates  as  to  the  supporting 
ability  of  these  plains,  some  stating  that  it  requires  40  or  50  acres  to 
maintain  one  animal,  others  giving  20  or  30  acres,  and  still  others  10  or 
15  acres.  All  these  estimates  are  correct  as  to  certain  localities,  and 
over  the  entire  region   it  may  be  considered  probable  that  the  average 


amount  required  would  be  about  15  acres  to  the  head.  In  the  Census 
Report  for  L880,  Mr.  Clarence  Gordon  says  of  Kansas  west  of  the  ninety- 
ninth  meridian  :  il  Where  there  is  sufficient  water,  l<>  acres  of  range  will 
support  one  head  of  neat  stock.  When  we  find  that  there  were  in  esti- 
mate so  acres  to  eaeli  unit  of  stock,  we  have  to  remember  that  at  least 
one-half  of  the  occupied  area  is  scantily  watered,  and  that  the  region  is 
not  fully  stocked."  Elsewhere  he  says  that  in  1880  there  were  in  the 
same  region  over  184,000  head  of  stock,  and  that  the  approximate  acre- 
age lor  stock  occupation  was  15,782,880  acres.  And  in  Nebraska,  west 
of  the  ninety-ninth  meridian,  there  were  571,386  head  of  cattle,  with  an 
approximate  acreage  of  occupation  of  20, 000,000  acres,  or  about  48  acres 
per  head. 

It  is  impossible  to  realize  the  full  capacity  of  these  districts  under 
the  ranch  system.  This  can  only  be  accomplished  by  limiting  the  ex- 
tent of  the  range  and  the  size  of  the  herds,  so  that  they  can  be  properly 
cared  for  as  to  water,  shelter,  and  winter  feed  ;  and  this  would  require 
the  cultivation  of  a  part  of  the  land.  The  question  of  water  supply  on 
the  high  lands  will  in  time  be  successfully  solved,  so  that  every  fertile 
acre  can  be  beneficially  employed.  And  with  these  conditions  fulfilled 
the  supporting  capacity  of  the  country  can  be  easily  doubled  and  quad- 
rupled. 

A  PASTORAL   COUNTRY. 

Sufficient  time  has  not  elapsed  to  determine  what  will  be  the  ultimate 
success  of  general  agriculture  in  this  section,  but  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that  the  country  is  eminently  adapted  to  pastoral  uses,  and  the  settlers 
who  are  now  filling  up  the  country  would  do  well  to  direct  their  efforts 
to  stock  raising  and  to  dairy  interests. 

Notwithstanding  the  great  development  of  the  cattle  industry  during 
recent  years,  statistics  show  that  the  production  of  beef  has  not  kept 
pace  with  the  increase  of  population,  and  to  supply  the  jjreat  demand 
for  meat  will  require  not  only  the  usual  product  of  the  ranches,  but 
opens  also  an  excellent  opportunity  of  cattle  farming,  where  the  addi- 
tional labor  and  care  employed  will  not  only  increase  the  supply,  but 
find  ample  remuneration. 

llOW    TO   INCREASE    THE    GRASS   SUPPLY. 

The  inquiry  will  naturally  arise  in  thoughtful  minds,  cannot  the  graz- 
ing capacity  of  this  region  be  increased  by  substituting  more  product- 
ive grasses,  those  which  will  not  only  endure  the  aridity  of  the  climate, 
but  also  clothe  the  ground  more  completely,  and  furnish  a  more  abundant 
growth  l  There  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  high  nutritive  value  of  the 
gramma  and  buffalo  grasses,  but  the  yield  is  so  light  as  to  require  a 
large  area  for  cattle  to  range  over  to  obtain  support.  There  can  be  no 
improvement  in  this  respect  without  cultivation  of  the  soil. 

It  has  been  argued  that  in  this  arid  region  agriculture  cannot  be  suc- 
cessful from  a  want  of  sufficient  rainfall.     But  it  is  now  claimed  by 


10 

those  residing  on  the  soil  that  this  is  erroneous.  It  is  said  that  in  the 
natural  condition  of  the  soil  the  full  benefit  of  the  rainfall  is  not  obtained, 
that  the  ground  is  so  densely  packed  that  it  is  impervious  to  moisture,  so 
that  a  large  share  of  the  rainfall  rapidly  runs  into  the  arroyas  and  streams 
as  it  would  from  a  roof,  whereas  if  the  ground  were  plowed  and  pulver- 
ized a  large  part  of  the  rainfall  would  be  retained  for  the  gradual  nour- 
ishment of  such  plants  as  were  on  the  ground.  Nature  has  here  done 
the  best  she  could  under  the  circumstances.  But  nature  never  spon- 
taneously presents  us  with  great  and  luxuriant  fields  of  grain  or  other 
vegetables  ready  to  the  hand  of  man.  But  by  means  of  agriculture 
man  directs  and  controls  nature,  and  she  willingly  submits  to  his  guid- 
ance. Man  has  learned  to  select  those  plants,  grains,  and  grasses 
which  are  best  adapted  to  his  wants,  and  to  grow  them  to  the  exclusion 
of  others.  This  is  the  essence  of  agriculture.  Nature  shows  her  will- 
ingness even  here  to  respond  to  the  ameliorating  influences  of  cultiva- 
tion. No  sooner  is  the  ground  plowed,  and  corn,  sorghum,  or  millet 
planted,  than  a  crop  many  times  as  heavy  as  that  of  the  native  soil  is  at 
once  produced.  Even  if  nothing  but  such  annual  crops  as  those  can  be 
raised  on  this  soil  the  cultivation  of  an  eighth  part  of  the  land  would 
be  sufficient  to  make  safe  the  keeping  of  twice  the  number  of  cattle 
which  could  subsist  otherwise.  But  it  is  reasonable  to  conclude  that 
nature  will  be  as  ready  to  help  in  the  production  of  perennial  glasses 
as  she  is  in  the  annual  ones.  There  is  every  reason  to  expect  that  even 
the  gramma  grass  may  be  made  to  double  its  yield  by  cultivation.  But 
there  is  a  considerable  number  of  grasses  native  to  this  district  which 
are  much  more  thrifty  and  productive  than  the  gramma  and  buffalo, 
and  if  they  were  selected  and  sown  upon  the  properly  prepared  land 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that  a  great  improvement  in  the  grass  produc- 
tion would  be  effected.  Indeed  we  should  extend  our  inquiry  to  foreign 
grasses  cultivated  in  similar  situations. 

ESTIMATE   OF   RESULTS   TO   BE   OBTAINED. 

Between  the  thirty-seventh  and  forty  third  degrees  of  latitude,  and 
between  the  one  hundredth  and  the  one  hundred  and  fifth  degrees  of 
longitude,  there  are  embraced  not  far  from  120,000  square  miles  of  sur- 
face. There  can  be  little  doubt  that  one-half  of  that  quantity  is  capable 
of  sustaining,  under  proper  management,  with  provision  for  winter  food 
and  shelter,  at  least  50  head  of  cattle  to  the  square  mile,  or  3,000,000 
cattle  on  the  entire  tract.  By  many  of  the  residents  this  estimate  would 
be  considered  much  too  small.  And  can  we  not  expect  that  the  time  is 
advancing  when  we  shall  see  all  this  vast  area  so  improved  as  to  fully 
realize  this  estimate,  not  only  for  the  limited  area  above  mentioned,  but 
for  many  other  sections  of  what  arc  now  called  the  arid  lands  ?  If  also 
we  can  gradually  introduce  more  productive  grasses  we  can  readily  an- 
ticipate a  still  further  development  of  the  cattle  industry. 


11 

THE    CRUCIAL    TEST. 

I  have  stated  my  belief  that  many  other  grasses  and  forage  plants 
might  be  substituted  for  the  prevailing  ones  on  this  arid  tract  which 
would  be  more  productive. 

Bat  this  is  a  question  which  can  only  be  settled  by  experiment.  Such 
grasses  and  forage  plants  require  to  be  subjected  to  careful  and  pro- 
longed trials  in  order  to  obtain  proof  of  their  relative  values  under  dif- 
ferent conditions  of  soil,  moisture,  and  location. 

Such  experiments  are  difficult  ami  expensive,  and  cannot  well  be  made 
by  private  individuals;  hence  it  is  highly  important  that  the  Govern- 
ment should  provide  an  experimental  station  in  a  central  and  character- 
istic location,  where  all  the  commonly  cultivated  grasses  and  forage 
plants,  and  also  the  most  promising  native  ones,  could  be  thoroughly 
tried  under  various  conditions.  This  would  be  greatly  in  the  interest 
of  that  large  body  of  settlers  who  are  now  taking  possession  of  the 
country,  and  who,  without  the  aid  of  such  information  as  could  thus  be 
obtained  and  communicated,  will  be  exposed  to  many  losses  and  dis- 
appointments in  prosecuting  agriculture  under  the  peculiar  circum- 
stances here  existing.  A  properly  conducted  and  well-continued  series 
of  experiments  in  this  direction  would  result  in  important  discoveries  of 
great  value  to  the  future  residents  in  this  arid  district. 

LOCATION   OF   A    GRASS-EXPERIMENT    STATION. 

I  have  spoken  above  of  the  Government  reservation  of  Fort  Wallace, 
and  I  am  induced  to  recommend  the  utilization  of  this  property  for  the 
purpose  of  an  experimental  statiou. 

I  recommend  this  because  it  is  central,  easy  of  access,  and  typical  of 
this  large  district  of  arid  country.  I  recommend  it  also  because  here  is 
land  presenting  a  suitable  variety  of  elevation,  moisture,  &c,  with  all 
the  buildings  which  would  be  needed  for  the  equipment  of  such  a  sta- 
tion. I  recommend  it  because  its  scope  of  work  would  be  peculiar  to, 
and  in  the  interest  of  a  peculiar  region  of  country,  greatly  needing  the 
information  which  it  would  secure. 

A  very  moderate  appropriation,  expended  under  the  Commissioner  of 
Agriculture,  could  here  be  made  productive  of  a  great  amount  of  good. 
The  problem  presented  could  not  be  solved  in  one  or  two  years,  but 
would  require  a  well  conducted  and  continued  series  of  trials  under 
varied  conditions. 

The  editor  of  the  Wallace  County  Register,  in  a  recent  issue,  makes 
the  following  very  rational  remarks: 

There  can  be  uo  good  reason  assigned  why  the  old  Government  post,  now  fast  fall- 
ing into  decay,  but  still  capable,  with  small  expense,  of  being  lifted  up  for  comforta- 
ble residences  aud  stabling,  should  not  be  utilized  for  the  benefit  of  the  whole  country. 
There  is  no  finer  belt  of  land  anywhere   in  the   great  West  than    we  have   within  a 


12 

radius  of  100  miles,  taking  Wallace  as  a  center.  All  this  great  area  lies  in  what  lias 
been  known  as  the  Great  American  Desert.  It  is  not  desert,  but  the  very  richest  <>i 
soil,  and  possesses  the  finest  climate  in  America.  As  yet  it  is  undeveloped.  Only  one 
thing  is  surely  known  of  it  ;  that  is,  it  is  a  tine  stock  country. 

Nearly  one-fourth  of  all  this  land  (not  including  the  railroad  grant)  has  been  taken 
up  under  the  timber-culture  act.  One-half  of  this  portion  will  be  ready  for  planting 
by  the  spring  of  1888,  the  other  half  by  the  spring  following.  Nearly  all  of  the  re- 
mainder has  been  taken  up  under  the  other  acts  of  Congress  governing  the  public 
domain.  There  is  but  little  of  it  left  to  be  taken.  These  homesteaders  know  but 
little  of  what  the  country  will  produce.  A  farm  of  the  character  contemplated  would 
greatly  aid  them. 


APPENDIX 


The  native  grasses  occupying  that  portion  of  the  arid  region  here  in- 
vestigated are  numerous,  but  only  two  kinds  play  the  most  important 

part  in  the  support  of  animal  life.  These  are,  botanieally,  Bouteloua 
oligostachya  and  Buchke  dactyloidoe,  commonly  called  gramma-grass  and 

buffalo-grass,  respectively,  but  frequently  called  indiscriminately  buf- 
falo-grass. They  are  of  low  growth,  forming  patches  of  greater  or 
less  extent,  with  spaces  of  bare  soil  between  the  patches.  The  leaves 
are  short  and  mostly  crowded  close  to  the  ground.  There  are  several 
species  of  Bouteloua  or  gramma-grass,  but  the  one  above  named  is  the 
principal  one  on  the  great  stretches  of  upland.  The  others  occur  lo- 
cally, some  ou  rocky  ridges  and  some  in  what  is  called  bottom  land. 
In  valleys  and  bottoms  near  the  mountains  the  dwarf  gramma-grass, 
Bouteloua  prostrata,  often  carpets  the  ground  over  large  areas.  This 
extends,  at  least,  from  Northern  Colorado  to  Santa  Fe,  N.  Mex.  The 
common  gramma  varies  much  in  size  and  vigor,  according  to  its  loca- 
tion. In  rich  moist  bottom  land  it  may  grow  2  feet  high  and  form  a 
pretty  close  sod,  but  on  the  elevated  dry  plains  it  becomes  greatly  re- 
duced in  size  and  productiveness.  Wherever  it  is  not  too  closely 
cropped  by  cattle  it  seeks  to  send  up  its  flowering  stalks,  sometimes  not 
more  than  6  inches  high,  but  usually  a  foot  or  more.  Near  the  top  of 
the  slender  stalk  are  from  one  to  two,  or  rarely  three,  flower-spikes, 
which  when  mature  stand  out  nearly  at  right  angles,  and  are  an  inch  to 
an  inch  and  a  half  long,  with  the  flowers  all  arranged  on  one  side  of  the 
spikes. 

The  true  buffalo-grass,  Buchlce  dactyloides,  forms  extensive  cushion- 
like beds,  covering  the  ground  closely  with  its  short,  compact  foliage, 
which  is  of  a  lighter  color  than  the  gramma.  This  grass  is  very  pecul- 
iar in  one  respect.  It  is  of  a  dioecious  habit — that  is,  the  two  sexes 
grow  on  different  plants,  or  if  ou  the  same  plant  they  are  not  on  the 
same  stalk.  Usually,  however,  they  are  wholly  distinct  and  in  different 
patches.  The  male  spikes  resemble  in  appearance  those  of  the  gramma, 
but  are  much  smaller,  and  the  stalks  never  grow  tall.  The  female  flowers 
are  inconspicuous,  generally  being  concealed  among  the  leaves  near  the 
ground,  and  seed  is  rarely  formed,  the  plant  being  mainly  propagated 
by  its  short-jointed,  creeping  runners,  after  the  manner  of  Bermuda- 
grass.  According  to  my  observation  the  gramma-grass  is  much  the 
most  common,  but  the  two  are  generally  associated  in  varying  propor- 
tions, but  together  forming  from  75  to  90  per  cent,  of  the  whole  grass 

13 


14 

product.  There  are  several  different  grasses,  known  under  the  names 
of  blue-stem,  blue-joint,  and  blue  grass,  all  of  which  are  different  from 
the  blue-grass  of  the  East. 

One  of  these,  sometimes  called  Colorado  blue-stem,  is  botanically 
called  Agropyrum  glaucum.  It  has  a  stiff,  rigid  stem  and  leaves,  which 
are  usually  of  a  bluish-green  color.  On  hard,  dry  soil  its  growth  is  low 
and  sparse,  only  here  and  there  a  scattered  stalk  with  a  flower-spike 
somewhat  like  a  starved,  beardless  head  of  wheat,  but  in  low,  moist 
ground  it  often  grows  with  great  vigor  2  or  3  feet  high,  and  wherever 
it  is  abundant  it  is  considered  valuable  for  hay,  and  is  a  common  resort 
for  cattle  in  winter.  It  is  most  common  near  the  mountains,  but  extends 
into  Western  Kansas  and  Nebraska.  Another  grass,  frequently  called 
the  blue-stem,  or  blue-joint,  of  Kansas,  is  botanically  called  Andropogon 
provincial}}*.  On  the  prairies  of  Eastern  Kansas  and  Nebraska  this  is  a 
conspicuous  and  well-known  grass,  very  highly  esteemed  for  hay.  It 
is  said  that  it  is  gradually  crowding  out  the  gramma  and  buffalo 
grasses.  It  is  fouud,  in  some  localities,  quite  to  the  base  of  the  mount- 
ains, and  is  every  where  esteemed  a  good  grass  for  hay.  It  grows 
erect,  frequently  to  the  height  of  5  or  6  feet.  The  leaves  are  long  and 
abundant ;  the  stem  has  frequently  a  bluish  color,  and  has  at  the  top 
a  cluster  of  from  3  to  5  flower  spikes,  each  being  2  or  3  inches  long,  and 
generally  purplish  in  color. 

There  is  another  species  much  resembling  this,  which  is  botanically 
called  Andropogon  Hallii,  and  it  prevails  in  very  sandy  soil;  its  roots 
are  thick  and  penetrate  deeply  in  the  soil,  keeping  it  fresh  and  vigorous 
in  the  driest  time.  This  is  sometimes  called  sand-grass,  and  it  is  said 
to  be  greatly  sought  for  by  cattle  in  winter.  It  grows  from  3  to  5  feet 
high  :  the  flower  spikes  when  developed  are  hairy,  and  have  a  white  or 
yellowish  color,  and  the  leaves  and  stem  are  commonly  a  light  bluish- 
green  color. 

Another  species  of  this  family,  called  Andropogon  scoparius,  grows  in 
dense  tufts  or  bunches,  generally  on  thin  soil,  or  on  bluffs  and  hills,  but 
frequently  also  on  bottom  land,  and  is  called  bunch-grass.  Apparently 
the  same  species  in  a  somewhat  different  variety  grows  in  the  East,  and 
is  one  of  the  so  called  sedge-grasses.  It  is  probably  what  is  referred  to 
by  some  Western  writers  as  sage-grass.  It  is  frequently  cut  for  hay, 
and  serves  a  good  purpose  as  winter  forage. 

Another  important  and  valuable  grass  occurring  in  low  or  moist 
ground,  usually  near  streams,  is  Panicum  virgatum,  which  is  sometimes 
called  wild  red- top,  or  sometimes  switch  grass.  It  varies  in  height  from 
2  to  4  feet,  with  long  leaves  and  a  wide-spreading  panicle  of  flowers. 
It  is  abundant  on  the  native  prairies  in  Eastern  Kansas,  and  forms  a 
good  proportion  of  the  wild  grass  there  cut  for  hay.  It  also  forms  an 
important  part  of  the  native  meadow-grasses  in  the  valley  of  the  Platte 
as  far  west  as  O'Fallon.  and  in  smaller  quantities  to  the  base  of  the 
mountains. 


15 

Another  species  of  this  genus  occurs  in  Texas,  New  Mexico,  and  South- 
ern Colorado,  which  has  the  name  of  Vine  Mesquit.  It  is  botanically 
called  Panicum  obtusum.  1  found  patches  of  this  growing  in  Southern 
Colorado,  making  an  even  grassy  surface  about  2  feet  high,  and  appear- 
ing as  if  it  would  cut  -J  tons  per  acre.  I  also  saw  it  in  considerable  quan- 
tity in  hay  brought  into  the  Pueblo  market.  It  frequently  throws  out 
runners  several  feet  long  (6  to  8  feet  sometimes),  which  at  intervals  form 
thickened  woolly  knots  or  nodes,  which  sometimes  take  root.  Itdeserves 
attention  with  reference  to  its  agricultural  value. 

One  of  the  so-called  bunch-grasses,  botanically  called  Oryzopsis  CU8- 
pidata,  occurs  near  the  mountains  in  sandy  soil,  but  I  did  not  observe 
it  over  the  eastern  part  of  the  arid  district.  In  Southern  New  Mexico 
and  Arizona,  however,  it  is  said  to  be  an  important  grass.  Associated 
with  Andropogon  Hallii  in  very  sandy  districts  is  another  tall  grass,  also 
called  sand-grass,  which  is  botanically,  Ammophila  longifolia.  It  is 
coarse  and  tough,  and  its  principal  value  seems  to  be  as  a  refuge  from 
starvation  by  cattle  in  the  winter.  It  prevails  on  the  sand  dunes  and 
sand  hills  of  the  most  barren  districts. 

Another  grass  of  very  different  habit  and  growth  is  sometimes  also 
called  sand-grass,  salt-grass, and  alkali-grass,  botanically  called  Distich- 
lis  maritima.  This  is  a  low,  very  leafy  grass,  frequently  forming  the 
principal  part  of  the  vegetation  in  alkaline  soils,  though  not  confined 
to  such.  There  seems  to  be  a  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  value  of 
this  grass,  some  regarding  it  as  useful,  others  as  of  no  value. 

Wild  rye  grass,  botanically,  various  forms  oiElymus  canadensis,  is  fre- 
quent in  low  grounds  and  borders  of  streams,  and  where  it  occurs  in  suf- 
ficient quantity  is  cut  for  hay,  and  is  esteemed  one  of  the  best  kinds. 

Among  other  grasses  having  some  value,  and  occurring  in  some  locali- 
ties, may  be  named  Sporobolus  cryptandrus,  Sporobolus  airoides,  Chryso- 
pogon  nutans.  Hilar  ia  Jamesii,  Bouteloua  racetnosa,  Stipa  spar  tea,  Koele- 
ria  cristata,  several  species  of  Muhlenbergia  and  Munroa  squarrdsa. 
Someof  these  may  prove  to  be  valuable  in  cultivation  for  this  arid  region. 
Several  worthless  annual  grasses  are  often  abundantly  mixed  on  the 
plains  with  the  gramma  and  buffalo,  such  as  Aristida  purpurea,  Festuca 
tenella,  Hordeum  jubatum,  and  Elymus  Sitanion.  Some  of  these  are  in- 
jurious on  account  of  the  barbed  awns  which  cause  sore  mouths  in  ani- 
mals and  work  into  the  wool  and  even  into  the  flesh  of  sheep. 

ACREAGE    REQUIRED   FOR   THE    SUPPORT    OF    STOCK. 

Mr.  H.  M.  Taylor,  agent  of  the  Bureau  of  Animal  Industry,  in  his 
report  for  1885  says,  "from  40  to  50  acres  are  required  to  support  one 
cow  or  horse  on  the  arid  regions  of  the  plains." 

Mr.  S.  11.  Standart,  another  agent  of  the  same  Bureau,  says: 

The  amount  of  acreage  it  requires  to  support  one  animal  on  the  range  in  this  State 
(Colorado)  is  '.36;}  acres  on  the  average  in  ordinary  seasons.  The  reports  art-  from  13 
to  100  acres,  according  to  locality. 


16 

The  above  estimates  can  only  apply  to  the  most  barren  parts  of  the 
arid  districts.  I  think  it  can  safely  be  said  that  there  is  very  little  land 
in  Western  Kansas  and  Nebraska  where  the  native  vegetation  will  not 
give  support  to  cattle  at  the  rate  of  10  acres  per  head,  and  the  ability 
of  the  land  may  readily  be  doubled  by  agricultural  means. 

AGRICULTURE    ON    THE    ARID    PLAINS, 

The  Akron  (Colorado)  Pioneer  Press,  August  20,  1880,  says: 

The  office  of  the  Pioneer  Press  resembles  somewhat  an  agricultural  hall  at  a  county 
fair.  Corn,  millet,  blue-joint,  potatoes,  buckwheat,  oats,  flax,  beans,  Arc,  that  will 
compare  favorably  with  any  State  in  the  Union.  They  were  grown  on  sod  in  Col- 
orado, The  great  American  desert,  by  temlerfeet. 

In  the  Homeseeker's  Guide,  published  at  Potter,  Cheyenne  County, 
in  Southwestern  Nebraska,  are  statements  oi'  the  results  of  several  in- 
stances of  farming  in  that  county  last  year,  in  which  corn,  potatoes, 
vegetables,  turnips,  &c,  planted  on  sod  land  gave  excellent  results. 

In  the  Denver  Times,  August,  18*G,  is  the  following  article : 

The  bountiful  yield  of  agricultural  products  in  Northwestern  Nebraska  is  a  matter 
of  surprise  to  all  heretofore  strangers  to  this  locality.  Many  homesteaders  who  came 
here  last  spring  doubting  and  timid,  are  now  enthusiastic  with  the  outlook.  Why 
should  auy  one  distrust  a  country  where  soil  yields  a  plentiful  harvest  for  the  mere 
planting,  and  where  boundless  grazing  fields  furnish  pasturage  for  vast  herds  of  cat- 
tle the  year  round  ?     (Sidney  Telegraph.) 

The  above  is  a  sample  of  the  reports  which  are  coming  in  from  the  arid  region  to 
the  east  and  northeast  of  Denver,  along  the  Union  Pacific  aud  the  Burlington  Roads. 
Not  only  Western  Nebraska,  but  Western  Kansas  aud  Eastern  Colorado  are  appar- 
ently moving  forward  in  the  agricultural  line.  Reports  are  to  the  effect  that  settlers 
from  the  eastward  are  crowding  the  rangers  in  the  eastern  halves  of  Arapahoe,  Weld, 
and  Bent  Counties.  They  have  generally  settled  upon  the  high  lauds,  and  have 
planted  crops  which  have  had  no  water  except  that  which  has  fallen  from  the  skies. 
Strange  as  it  may  seem  to  the  average  man,  who  has  been  taught  to  regard  the  plains 
east  of  Denver  as  of  no  worth  whatever,  the  crops  are  reported  as  prospering.  One 
man  is  represented  as  having  a  10-acre  field  of  corn  which  averages  8  feet  in  height. 
The  importance  of  such  development  cannot  be  overestimated.  If  good  crops  can  be 
regularly  grown  upon  the  plains  lands  without  irrigation,  the  question  of  securing 
dense  population  in  Colorado  may  be  regarded  as  settled. 

Surveyor-general  Lawsou,  of  Colorado,  in  a  recent  report  to  Commis- 
sioner Sparks,  says: 

The  lands  upon  the  plains  in  the  eastern  section  of  the  State  are  being  rapidly 
settled  upon  by  a  thrifty,  determined  class  of  farmers,  who  come  with  the  avowed 
purpose  of  making  permanent  homes,  and  who  claim  that  the  so-called  "Great 
American  Desert  "  is  no  desert  at  all,  but  a  most  fertile  region  capable  of  sustaining 
a  teeming  population.  They  claim  with  apparent  confidence  that  the  notion  that 
agriculture  cannot  be  profitably  pursued  in  any  portion  of  these  plains  except  where 
irrigation  is  practicable  is  altogether  erroneous,  and  maintain  that  there  is  ample 
rainfall  to  all  the  region  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  secure  abundant  crops  upon 
the  -oil.  which  is  rich  and  genial,  and  that  the  apparently  arid  and  unproductive 
character  of  these  lands  arise  from  the  tact  that  in  their  natural  state  the  water  de- 
posited by  the  snows  of  winter  and  the  rains  of  spring  and  summer  have  flowed  from 
the  surface  and  been  carried  off  by  the  arroyas  and  sandy  ravines  in  the  proportion 
of  at  least   tour-tilths,  whereas  when   the  soil   .shall  be  plowed  and  cultivated  it  will 


17 

absorb  and  retain  the  moisture  in  the  same  proportion,  not  more  than  one-nfth  of  the 
water  flowing  off  into  gulches  and  arroyas.  They  point  with  confidence,  in  illustra- 
tion of  this  idea,  to  the  fact  that  as  the  plowshare  has  advanced  westward  in  the 
St;«t es  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska  the  "  desert  "  of  the  old  geographies  has  disappeared. 

LOSSES  OF  CATTLE  UNDER  THE  RANCH  SYSTEM. 

The  losses  of  stock  on  ranches,  from  starvation  and  exposure,  varies 
greatly  in  different  seasons  and  in  different  localities,  being  seldom  less 
than  five  per  cent. 

Mr.  J.  N.  Bradley,  an  inspector  of  the  Bureau  of  Animal  Industry,  says 
in  his  Keport  for  1885,  page  4127: 

The  ranchmen  calculate  to  lose  about  3  to  5  per  cent,  from  exposure,  and  consider 
it  less  expensive  than  providing  shelter  and  winter  food. 

But  these  losses  during  some  winters  are  greatly  exceeded,  in  South- 
ern Kansas  the  past  winter  amounting  in  many  instances  to  the  loss  of 
the  larger  portion  of  the  herds.  A  similar  condition  existed  in  Eastern 
Colorado,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  following  item  from  a  Colorado  paper: 

A  correspondent  writing  under  date  of  July  23  from  Apache  to  the  Walsenburg 
Cactus  says:  For  the  past  two  days  the  round-up  has  been  in  the  Apache  Valley. 
The  report  of  the  100  cowboys  who  comprise  the  force  is  anything  but  encouraging  as 
to  the  losses  of  the  past  winter.  Many  put  the  estimate  of  losses  of  acclimated  stock 
as  bigh  as  75  per  cent. ;  the  most  hopeful  say  50  per  cent.  Among  the  dogies  shipped 
in  last  fall  scarcely  a  remnant  remains.  One  cattle  company  that  turned  loose  1,800 
head  of  through  Texas  stock  have  found  out,  at  a  cost  of  10  per  cent,  of  their  in- 
vestment, that  they  have  less  than  100  head  left.  A  cattleman  of  this  neighbor- 
hood who  went  into  the  winter  with  1,000  head  has  so  far  been  able  to  find  less  than 
a  dozen. 

But  the  actual  loss  of  life  from  starvation  and  exposure  is  not  the 
only  consideration.  Even  among  those  cattle  which  survive  the  winter 
there  is  always  a  great  reduction  of  flesh  and  condition.  Mr.  S.  H. 
Standart,  agent  of  the  Bureau  of  Animal  Industry,  says: 

The  loss  of  flesh  during  the  winter  from  want  of  shelter  is  12  per  cent.  In  Dakota 
the  loss  of  flesh  during  the  winter  is  17^  per  cent.     (Report  for  1885,  p.  327.) 

We  would  therefore  hail  with  satisfaction  such  a  change  in  the  cattle 
industry  as  would  obviate  these  risks  and  losses  and  bring  it  into  the 
hands  of  land-owners,  who,  by  better  care  and  management,  will  make 
it  possible  to  raise  twice  as  many  cattle,  besides  extending  the  dairy 
and  sheep  interests. 

CHANGES  ARE   COMING. 

Rapid  changes  are  coming  over  our  neighboring  county  of  Bent.  Though  hereto- 
fore recognized  as  a  leading  and  almost  exclusive  stock-raising  region,  large  ditch 
enterprises  have  been  projected  there  withiu  a  couple  of  years,  and  attention  is  di- 
rected quite  generally  to  farming.  With  the  ditches,  new  people,  that  know  nothing 
of  the  range-stock  business,  have  come  in.  Old-time  ranchmen  are  considering  how 
they  can  bring  their  herds  to  the  limits  of  a  pasture,  and  how  to  provide  feed  to  sup- 
plement their  abridged  ranges.  The  town-boomers  of  Western  Kansas  have  invaded 
the  eastern  borders  of  the  county  this  year,  and  are  booming  no  less  than  three  new 
6078— Bull  1 2 


18 

towns  within  a  few  miles  of  each  other.  At  the  same  time  the  older  towns  of  Las 
Animas  and  La  Junta  have  been  infused  with  new  energy  and  are  making  substantial 
growth.     (Review  and  Standard,  Pueblo,  Colo.) 

From  the  New  York  Tribune: 

Theodore  Roosevelt  has  come  from  the  West  with  a  springy  step  and  bronzed  coun- 
tenance,  and  the  general  air  of  buoyancy  which  is  the  result  of  contact  with  the  free 
air  of  Dakota  prairies.  He  says  that  the  days  of  excessive  profits  in  the  cattle"  busi- 
ness are  over,  because  there  are  too  many  people  in  the  business,  and  the  cattlemen 
have  to  pay  the  penalty  of  crowding  cattle  more  thickly  on  the  prairies  than  the  grass 
will  stand.  Mr.  Roosevelt  thinks  that  the  present  system  of  cattle  grazing  will  event- 
ually cease  aud  the  business  take  a  different  form  in  different  localities.  The  land 
that  is  fitted  for  agriculture  will  be  taken  up  by  the  farmers,  and  the  grazing  lands 
will  gradually  be  fenced  in  and  the  great  ranches  be  broken  up  to  make  place  for 
smaller  ranches. 

Bespectfully  submitted. 

GEO.  VASEY, 
Botanist  of  the  Department 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Bonteloua  oligostaehya Gramina-grass,  PL  I 

Bnchloe  daet  yloides Buffalo-grass,  PL  II 

Andropogon  provincialis Blue-joint,  PL  III 

Aodropogon  scoparius .' Wire-grass,  Sedge-grass,  PL  IV 

Panicum  virgatuin Switch-grass,  PL  V 

Distichlis  maritima Alkali  or  Salt-grass,  PL  VI 

Chrysopogon  nutans Reed-grass,  Sorghum-grass,  PL  VII 

Koeleria  cristata  Wild  June-grass,  PL  VIII 

Muhlenbergia  gloinerata PL  IX 

Hilaria  Jauiesii PL  X 

Sporobolus  cryptandrus PL  XI 

Sporobolus  airoides Bunch-grass,  PL  XII 

Elynms  Canadensis Eye-grass,  PL  XIII 

19 


Plate  I. 


Bot'TELOUA    OLIGOSTACHYA       GRAMMA-GRASS. 


I 


Plait  li 


BUCIILOF   DACTYLOIDES       BCFFALO-GRA! 


U.V^-^U 


Fiate  III. 


Wuprx  .u. 


AXDKOPOGON   PROVIXCIALIS.      BlVE-JOIXT. 


Plate  IV. 


AXDROPOGON   SCOPAR1US.      WlRE-GRASS.      SEDGE-GRASS. 


Plate  V. 


Panicum  virgatum.     Switch-grass. 


Plate  VI. 


HJ-LN 


DlSTlCHLTS    MARITIMA.      ALKALI-GRASS.      SALT-GRASS. 


Plate  VII. 


Chrysopogon  nutans.    Keed-grass.    Sorghum  grass. 


6078— H  nil.  1 3 


Plate  VIII. 


iVKSLS. 


tSWUBJBEl- 


KOELERIA   CRISTATA.      WlLD  JUNE-GRASS. 


Plate  IX. 


VfckRiUiLL, 


Htt.YttWOLSS 


MUHLEXBERGIA   GLOMERATA. 


Plate  X. 


HlLARIA    JAMESII. 


Plate  XT. 


;POROBOLUS  CRYPTANDRIS. 


Plate  XII. 


Sporobolus  aikoides.     Bunch-grass. 


Plate  XIII. 


Elymus  Canadensis.     Rye  grass. 


L 


r 


\ 


UNIVERSITY  OF  FLORIDA 


